TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) traveled to Japan on Thursday to discuss semiconductors with an association of Diet members.

Ho, who is the DPP candidate for mayor of Taichung, was accompanied on the trip by DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文). Kuo chairs an alliance of lawmakers focused on semiconductor strategy, per CNA.

The Taiwanese delegation met in Tokyo with the head of a similar Japanese legislative group, Yamagiwa Daishiro (山際大志郎). The two groups exchanged views on supply chain restructuring, economic security, and the protection of know-how, according to Ho’s office.

Ho said Taiwan and Japan need even closer ties between lawmakers on the policy front. She said Taiwan is a leading competitor in IC design, advanced processes, and testing and packaging, while Japan excels in semiconductor equipment, chemical materials, and key components.

In her discussions with Japanese lawmakers, Ho underlined the risks of relying too heavily on one supplier and the need to protect key technologies from industrial espionage.